By Joseph Ax
(Reuters) - Texas education officials voted narrowly to offer preliminary approval on Tuesday for a new curriculum that includes Bible lessons for children starting in kindergarten, part of a growing effort in the state and elsewhere to bring Christian principles to public schools.
The lesson plan, which is optional for school districts, has drawn criticism that it violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on governmental endorsement of religion, often referred to as the separation of church and state.
The state board of education voted 8-7 to keep the curriculum on a list of programs likely to gain final approval at a meeting on Friday.
The preliminary decision followed comments from more than 100 members of the public during a marathon hearing on Monday that stretched into the night.
Texas has been at the forefront of a movement among some Christian conservatives to promote religion in public schools, testing the boundaries of U.S. law and potentially inviting an increasingly right-wing Supreme Court to weigh in. President-elect Donald Trump has signaled support for such efforts.
Texas last year became the first state to enact legislation allowing chaplains in public schools, and Republican lawmakers are reviving a failed bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in school classrooms. A similar Ten Commandments law passed in Louisiana has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Legislators in more than two dozen states proposed at least 91 bills this year that would expand religion in public schools, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, an advocacy group that opposes such laws.
The new Texas curriculum emphasizes Christianity far more than other world religions, critics say.
For instance, a kindergarten lesson on the "Golden Rule" central to many religions – treating others as you would want to be treated – focuses on the Christian version, including Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount. A third-grade unit on ancient Rome includes an in-depth section on the life of Jesus and the start of Christianity, while the founding of other major religions is given far less time.
Proponents, including Governor Greg Abbott, argue the lessons offer important cultural and historical context, rather than religious indoctrination.
"This is not about religion or proselytization," board member Tom Maynard said at Tuesday's meeting. "This is about cultural awareness."
A number of people have expressed concern that the lessons could confuse or isolate students of other faiths, including Jews and Muslims.
"I just think if we try to let too much be taken over by any one religion, we risk damaging the experience of children who have differing beliefs," board member Rebecca Bell-Metereau said on Tuesday.
In addition to the emphasis on Christianity, the lessons are not age-appropriate for young children, said Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas who opposes the curriculum.
"They tell these stories in a very literalistic fashion that is likely to convince children to accept their claims as literal," he said, citing as an example a kindergarten unit that includes the story of Genesis.